I am passionate about, and thirsty for, Ignatian Spirituality. I long to meet like- minded pilgrims (if you will). I have not been successful with that endeavor, here, where I live (in Florida). I am interested in pursuing a deeper knowledge about Ignatian spirituality, and the Spiritual exercises. - Susan
Susan, your desire for companions reminds me of Master Ignatius. After he left Manresa, he gathered people wherever he went - sharing with them his experience of God, and listening to theirs. Some of those groups formed and met for a long time, and others fell apart after only a few meetings, or after Ignatius left them for the next part of his pilgrimage. Jesus too gathered friends to himself. Persons with whom to listen, learn, and love, to journey with and lean on for support. So I believe yours is a holy desire, which leads to the next question, of course.
What might the Lord be inviting you to in that desire you feel? Perhaps the invitation is that you begin gathering friends to yourself. Like Jesus and Master Ignatius, those friends may not all hold the same perspective or share similar experiences, but that does not prohibit the sharing of future experiences together or strong bonds of faith and love from being formed. It could be you are not like minded in the beginning but you can become like minded with shared experience. Maybe talking and listening with others about what is happening at the intersections of life and faith could be a place to start. Another starting point might be pursuing prayer together via a retreat - a book with Ignatian materials can be a good resource or an online retreat like what ISI offers. But for now, the real question is what is the Lord inviting you too through your desiring? If there is no one else in your area to gather others is it possible you are the leader the Lord hopes for?
I can assure you that we at ISI are happy to talk with you about your desire for the Spiritual Exercises. There may be some places we can be of support and help. Please feel free to reach out to us to explore what might be possible. In the meantime - meaning now - I encourage you to keep praying about your desire and start looking around for those concrete invitations from the Holy Spirit. Holy desires are good things - so follow them to the next good thing to do.
Susan, there’s a website http://lordteachmetopray.com/about/the-series that takes you through Ignation spirituality online. Since you are not physically close to ISI, perhaps this will get you started with the community you seek. God’s peace be with you. Your sister in Christ,
Katrinka